Mitch Marner Talks 'Dark Times in Hockey' After Trending Celebration Video, Stanley Cup Final Berth

Mitch Marner says he overcame some "dark times in hockey" before making it to the Stanley Cup Finals with the Vegas Golden Knights.

"It was a special moment," Marner said Tuesday night after the Golden Knights completed a Western Conference sweep of the Colorado Avalanche.

Marner continued, "There's been some dark times in hockey for myself, honestly. Thankful for my family, my brother, my mom and dad, my wife, all my friends around me.

"That was a moment just to express some joy and some fun."

Marner also talked about what he described as "dark moments in his hockey career on the ice after the Game 4 win.

"You've gotta have people around you that are amazing and love you... people I've worked with through mental stuff. It's never a one-man battle," Marner told Sportsnet's Shawn McKenzie.

Earlier Tuesday night, Marner pumped up the crowd at T-Mobile Arena as the Golden Knights celebrated their 2-1 Game 4 win over the Avalanche.

Avalanche-Golden Knights Highlights

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Marner spent the first nine seasons of his NHL career with the Toronto Maple Leafs, where his team never made it past the second round.

He left the Leafs in free agency last offseason as part of a sign-and-trade with the Golden Knights before signing an eight-year, $12 million AAV deal in Vegas.

Marner had been under scrutiny in Toronto for his inability to push the Leafs into the Eastern Conference Finals despite his status as one of the top 15 regular-season goalscorers in franchise history.

He finished his Leafs career 63 points (13 goals, 50 assists) over nine postseason runs and 70 postseason games in Toronto. That included just one goal in any Game 5, 6 or 7 of a series.

He has already racked up more than half that goal total in just 16 playoff games with the Golden Knights.

Marner has led all playoff skaters with 21 points (seven goals, 14 assists) to help lead his new team to the Stanley Cup Final.

That included three goals and two assists in the two series-clinching Game 6s against the Utah Mammoth and Anaheim Ducks.

"It's been a lot of fun, to be honest," Marner said after eliminating the Avs on Tuesday night. "It's been a lot of hard work, a lot of commitment from every single guy in this locker room, and that's something you love to see out of your team. Guys just coming to work every day excited, ready to work, want to make each other better. Fun games."

Marner will now prepare to make his Cup Final debut against either the Carolina Hurricanes or Montreal Canadiens, who will continue battling in the Eastern Conference Final on Wednesday night at 8 p.m. ET on TNT. The Hurricanes hold a 2-1 series lead.